Container with snap-off cover



April 1954 R. v. BURDICK ETAL 3,130,857

CONTAINER WITH SNAP-OFF COVER Filed June 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z3 I i /z /Z I 22 I IIIHI I I H! W HHILUII 0W Hlllll 2/ /3 /a INVENTORS a, 4 Ma April 28, 1954 R. v. BURDlCK ETAL 3,130,857

CONTAINER WITH SNAP-OFF COVER Filed June 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent This invention has to do with boxes of the circular type, made, for example, from relatively thin sheet metal, wherein substantially hermetically to seal semisolid materials, many of which contain volatiles, such as shoe polishes, waxes, ointments, creams and the like,

which it is desired to'preserve. Such boxes are disclosed in an earlier Patent No. 2,379,680, issued to one of the applicants herein. The subject application is provided to present an improved design over the type set forth in that patent.

In the above mentioned patent it has been emphasized that boxes of this type, and particularly-for such materials as shoe polishes and waxes, have volatile constituents so that such boxes must be designed to maintain a substantially air-tight -fitbet-weenthe cover and the container portion.

Emphasis must always be placed upon maintaining an air-tight fit. The fact that such air-tight engagement between cover and container portion to obtain a substantially hermetic seal is required often makes it difiicult and inconvenient to remove the cover from the box. This is true of boxes of the threaded type, not included in this application, where twisting causes too tight an engagement. This is also true-in the-unthreaded or pryoff type (not included in this application) which requires the use of aspecial key or coin for opening. The necessity of a hermetic seal results in addition to difficulty in opening such a box, difiiculty in closing as well.

The box disclosed herein is of the so-called snap-off cover type. Such a cover provides an air-tight seal in addition to'simplified opening and closing. The snap-off cover box disclosed herein provides many new results and advantages over other snap-off cover type boxes. :Such new results and advantages will be specifically set forth and will'otherwise appear hereinafter by a description of the present invention.

The invention herein disclosed has as its principal object the furnishingof an improved container with a snapoif cover which can be easily removed and replaced to provide an effective air-tight seal.

In addition, it is a further object of the invention to provide such a box which can be manufactured in a minimum of operations.

A container with a-snap-off cover embodying the invention and the manner of using the same is described herein with references to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a box constructed in .accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the box illustrated inFIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the box illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom "plan view of the box illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional View taken "along the line 5-5 in the=directionof the arrows shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view illustrating the snapoff or tilting action of "the cover to unseat the same, with portions cut away to disclose certain details of construction.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the box with the cover removed therefrom and in position to be placed thereon; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the type shown in FIG. 7 illustrating the cover and container in the completely closed condition with the cover embracing portions of the container in order to sealingly close the box.

In-the drawings there is shown a circular box of the type for use in containing semi-solid materials particularly waxes or creams or the like. This boxcomprises a container portion 16 having an outwardly formed peripheral ledge 11 which provides with the container an upwardly facing channel 12 intermediate the bottom wall 13 and the top peripheral edge 14, herein'shown as being provided with an outwardly expanded, rolled over, beaded edge portion around which the proper seal is effected by engagement with the cover portion described below.

The peripheral ledge 11 and the container portion adjacent thereto form an angle indicated in FIG. 7 by the letter A. As will be explained below in connection with the description of the opening and closing of the cover, it has been found that for proper operation the angle A should lie between a value of 10 and 25.

The lowermost surface 13 of container portion 10 has formed therein circular channel 16 which is opened downwardly and provides a circular projection 17 within container portion 1t). Channel 16 and projection 17 are concentric with ledge 11 and the outer wall of the container portion. The purpose of channel 16 will be explained below. It should be noted at this point, however, that the channel is open outwardly and the base of the channel forming the projection 17 is within the container portion. With such a configuration, wax or another substance within container 10 will not be rendered inaccessible since projection 17 occupies a minimum of space and the configuration thereof allows access to the wax in the container.

The cover portion or member 18 is provided with a downwardly directed circular skirt 19. The skirt is straight or of uniform diameter throughout and has no rolled edges or flares or indentations of any kind with theexception of a slightly rolled circular peripheral portion 15.

The skirt is provided with two cut-out portions 20 and 21, the former being of greater magnitude than the latter. In between the cut-out portions and opposite from each other the skirt terminates in two peripheral straight edge sections 22 and 23 that are adapted to seat throughout their entire lengths against the ledge 11 and within channel 12 when the cover is placed in sealed engagement with the bottom or container portion of the box. The cover is formed of sheet metal in this particular embodiment and it is contemplated that other resilient materials can be used as well, so that in placing the cover on the bottom portion, as will be explained below, the skirt is readily passed over bead 14 and resiliently engages the same.

When the cover is in position the larger cut-out portion 22, which preferably is arcuate, has terminal ends which together with the adjacent terminal ends of the straight edges form spaced-apart fulcrum points 24 around which to tilt the cover to unseat the same by pressure in the area of the cut-out portion 21. The smaller cut-out portion 20 is also arcuate and is of an area insuflicient to provide functional fulcrum points Where the arcuateportions terminateandjoin the straight edges opposite the fulcrum points 24. Such points are not far enough apart to give the functional fulcrum pivotal action required but the cut-out portion 20, as will be explained below, relieves the tensioning of the skirt in this area whereby tilting or upsetting the cover about the fulcrum point 2'4 results in the skirt 19 and cut-out 20 becoming disengaged from bead 14 to allow the cover to snap off. Skirt 19 terminates at its upper edge in upwardly directed knuckle 25 which in turn joins downwardly directed knuckle 26 forming the circular peripheral termination of top surface 27 of the cover. Joining the top surface 27 to skh't 19 by means of oppositely directed knuckles 25 and 26 results in the extremely strong junction point required in order to prevent distortion or damage of the resilient cover from the force required in opening the box as described below. Top surface 27 is provided with upwardly projecting arcuate walls 28, 29 and 30. Each of these projections has the same radius of curvature. Projection 2% overlies cut-out 20 whereas projections 2% and 3t! overlie cutout 21 and are separated from each other by depressed portion 31 of top surface 27. The depressed portion terminates at one edge at ledge 27 adjacent knuckle 26 and at the other edge in shoulder 32 which is also arcuately formed and extends from one end of projection 29 man end of projection 3b as shown in FIG. 5. Depressed portion 31 overlies the center of cut-away 20 and is utilized in opening the box. This indentation 31 or thumb print in the cover of the can is important since it strengthens the cover and also without such a thumb print a person opening the cover could dent the cover. The depression 31, in effect, is a pre-denting of the cover and the location of the print of this depression is important as it insures that a user of the box upon opening will not distort the cover.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the ease with which the cover portion can be placed upon the container portion to etfect sealing engagement therewith can be seen.

In FIG. 7 is illustrated a box with the cover portion thereof in position to be applied to the container. The lower edge of the skirt 19 is in adjacency with bevel 14. The preferred form of this invention is such that the diameter of the circumference of the skirt 19 is slightly less than the outside diameter of the bevel 14-. As the cover is drawn from its initial closing position to closing, the portions of the cover above the cut-outs engage the bevel 1d and the resiliency of the material from which the cover is formed allows the skirt to change diameter as it is drawn over the bead 14. As the lower edges 22 and 23 of the skirt engage the bottom portion of the container by becoming positioned within channel 112, the angle of the ledge 11 results in directing the lower edges 22' and 23 of the cover inwardly to insure its disposition within channel 12 and the cover seats readily in channel 12. The box is then in a closed condition and sealed because of the firm manner in which the skirt embraces bead 14.

The rolled portion 15 in the closed condition provides a wedge surface 15 which can engage lower surface 14' of the bead 14% to prevent dislodgment of the cover by an upwardly directed force from within such as may be caused by the provision of a resilient dauber beneath the cover.

The box is easily opened. One desiring to open the box places his finger on flat portion 31 and presses the same downwardly in the direction of the arrow indicated by the letter B as shown in FIG. 6. The placing of the finger and the force in flat part 311. causes the force to be applied directly over the center portion of cut-out 21 resulting in the pivoting of the cover about the point 24 and the skirt in the vicinity of cut-out 20 is raised and allowed to pass over bead 14 due to its resiliency until the uppermost portion of cut-out 20 has cleared bead l4 and the cover opens with a snapping action.

It is noted that the container portion immediately below bead 14 is undercut or of a reduced diameter providing a space for the lower edge of the cover skirt to move into unobstructed by the container during the pivoting open action.

The depressed portion lies directly above the center of the larger cut-out and applied pressure in the direc tion of the arrow B will unseat the cover as the ends of the skirt adjacent the first cut-out 21 are pivoted against the ledge and the second cut-out 20 disengages at bead 14. The projections 28, 29 and 30 strengthen the cover as do the peripheral knuckles 2'5 and 26. The projections 28, 29 and 3d are placed in the cover above the cut-out portions since these are the portions of the cover undergoing the greatest stress during the opening action. Projections 28, 29 and 30 are also formed to be received in a channel 16 of the bottom portion of a like container for stacking purposes.

Thus, among others, the several objects in the invention as specifically aforenoted are achieved. Obviously,

numerous changes in construction and rearrangements of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

We claim:

1. In a box of the character described, adapted for use in containing semi-solid materials such as waxes and the like having a top portion and a bottom portion, said bottom portion including a circular bottom, and upwardly extending side wall, a top beaded edge of said side wall, an outwardly formed peripheral ledge intermediate said side wall and extending therefrom upwardly to form an angle therewith in the range of 10 to 25, a channel formed between said side wall and said ledge, said cover including a circular top surface, a double knuckle formed peripherally of said top surface, a downwardly extending resilient skirt connected at its upper edge to said top surface by said double knuckle, a first cut-out portion of said skirt, a second cut-out portion of said skirt opposite said first cut-out portion, said skirt sealingly embracing said beaded edge with the bottom edge of said skirt disposed within said channel and (a depressed portion of said cover overlying said first cut-out portion) whereby downward pressure on said depressed portion will unseat said cover as the ends of said skirt adjacent said first cut-out portion are pivoted against said ledge and said second cut-out portion is disengaged of said bead.

2. A box in accordance with claim 1 in which upwardly projecting arcuate members are formed in said top surface of said cover above said cut-out portions to strengthen the cover.

3. A box in accordance with claim 1 in which the cut-out portions are arcuate and said first cut-out portion beneath the depressed portion is greater than said second cut-out portion.

' lower edge of said skirt in rolled slightly inwardly to provide, in the closed condition of the box, a wedge surface which can engage the lower surface of said bead to prevent dislodgment of the cover by an upwardly directed force applied to said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,067,906 Burdick et al. Dec. 11, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 457,248 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1936 

1. IN A BOX OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONTAINING SEMI-SOLID MATERIALS SUCH AS WAXES AND THE LIKE HAVING A TOP PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID BOTTOM PORTION INCLUDING A CIRCULAR BOTTOM, AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE WALL, A TOP BEADED EDGE OF SAID SIDE WALL, AN OUTWARDLY FORMED PERIPHERAL LEDGE INTERMEDIATE SAID SIDE WALL AND EXTENDING THEREFROM UPWARDLY TO FORM AN ANGLE THEREWITH IN THE RANGE OF 10* TO 25*, A CHANNEL FORMED BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALL AND SAID LEDGE, SAID COVER INCLUDING A CIRCULAR TOP SURFACE, A DOUBLE KNUCKLE FORMED PERIPHERALLY OF SAID TOP SURFACE, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING RESILIENT SKIRT CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER EDGE TO SAID TOP SURFACE BY SAID DOUBLE KNUCKLE, A FIRST CUT-OUT PORTION OF SAID SKIRT, A SECOND CUT-OUT PORTION OF SAID SKIRT OPPOSITE SAID FIRST CUT-OUT PORTION, SAID SKIRT SEALINGLY EMBRACING SAID BEADED EDGE WITH THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID SKIRT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND (A DEPRESSED PORTION OF SAID COVER OVERLYING SAID FIRST CUT-OUT PORTION) WHEREBY DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON SAID DEPRESSED PORTION WILL UNSEAT SAID COVER AS THE ENDS OF SAID SKIRT ADJACENT SAID FIRST CUT-OUT PORTION ARE PIVOTED AGAINST SAID LEDGE AND SAID SECOND CUT-OUT PORTION IS DISENGAGED OF SAID BEAD. 